Designer Home with Multi-Hued Holiday Palette

Everyone has a notion of what the season’s palette should be. There are the traditionalists, who celebrate with jewel-toned baubles and stockings in red-and-green plaids; the sophisticates, who prefer an elegant, snow-evoking montage of ivory and beige with the occasional gold sparkle; and those in between, who opt for both color and subtlety with the cool palette of blue and silver.

Boston-based designer Anthony Catalfano and his partner, Steven Kapfhammer, enjoy variations of all three schemes at Christmastime, permitting each to dazzle with its own point of view. When they bought their Brookline, Massachusetts, home in 2004, they decided to mix palettes in a way that would not only be pleasing all year, but also especially conducive to their enthusiastic holiday decorating and entertaining.

“There’s no one color that we use in our home, just as I don’t decorate in one signature style,” explains Anthony. “This house has a little bit of everything, but every color accepts Christmas decoration beautifully. The variety of palettes makes the house look happy all year.”

Although the designer isn’t generally in favor of an “anything goes” approach to color, he believes that the architecture of his home, a 1902 Georgian Colonial, warrants a color change from room to room. Its layout boasts an expansive central stair hall with rooms independently radiating out in several directions.

Wallpapered in a geometric pattern to enhance the millwork, the neutral-toned entry plays the role of palette cleanser, much like a lemon sorbet served between courses of an elaborate meal. The hall has a rich flavor all its own, anchored with a grand piano on which Anthony plays spirited carols. During the holidays, the piano serves as a base for one of the home’s Christmas trees and a collection of English caroler figurines. This decorative pairing spreads cheer at the seasonal parties that Anthony and Steven throw, sometimes hosting more than 80 people.

“Everyone has a checklist when they purchase a home, and one of our requirements was a house that could accommodate lots of people,” says Anthony. “For our party, we hire a pianist, and a caterer to make goodies. Everyone has a great time.”

Window treatments, sofas, and chairs in unmatched fabrics mingle in the living room as congenially as the guests. The space is warm and welcoming with a yellow strié pattern covering the walls. Here, a smaller version of the main Christmas tree sits atop a side table draped with a festive red cloth. An Asian-style garden chair is painted green and cushioned in a silk chinoiserie print on a chocolate brown background.

A red room is one of the hallmarks of design Anthony takes with him from house to house. It’s also the perfect accompaniment to a profusion of Christmas accessories. In this house, Anthony assigned red to the den, where the classic mantel is bedecked with poinsettias and berry-studded topiaries.

The color scheme cools down in the dining room. Anthony had long dreamed of creating a robin’s-egg blue dining room, and this well-proportioned space was the ideal place to execute his vision. Two windows lighten one wall, and a three-window bay projects at one end. Luxurious window panels in a soft blue that complements the walls descend from valances in rich silk folds.

Instead of holiday decor in bold colors, the dining room revels in quiet refinement. A three-panel mirror was created to cover the table, providing a reflective ground for glittery reindeer, silver candlesticks, a candelabra, and a crystal chandelier.

“I love color, and our Christmas decorations show that,” says Anthony. “At this time of the year, anything goes. We’re really into old-world design, and I never like Christmas decorations to match a room. The goal is for the house to be inviting, full of sparkle, and have our own personal touches—the perfect backdrop for making new memories with family and friends.”

Anthony’s signature “red room” is the den, where the crackled wallpaper pattern mimics the movement of flames. Holiday accessories find a home in this cheerful room, where the mantel is festooned with cheerful poinsettias and berries.

The sophisticated dining room palette is enhanced with white hydrangeas in an antique silver epergne. Created in three separate panels to keep weight at a minimum, a mirrored table covering maximizes the luminosity of the silvery decorations, the candles, and the crystal chandelier.